Dress-shield.



no.1 690,7I9. Pat ente'dlan. 7, I902.

. M. B.."GAUL.T-.

mess. 'smzm. (Appligation filed Sept. 16, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFicE.

MARTHA B. GAULT, OF-CINOINNATI, OHIQ DRESS-SHIELD.

SEEGlFlGATION'torming part of Letters Patent No. 690,719, dated January '7, 1902.

Application filed September 16, 1901. Serial No. 75,639. (No model.)

To all whom. it Treaty conaernf Be it known that I, MARTHA B. GAULT, a

citizen of the United States of America, and a resident ofOincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dress- Shields, of which the following is a specifica tion.

This invention relates to'certain improvements in dress-shields such as are adapted for use for the protection of garments at the sleeves from the effects ofperspiration; and the object of the invention is to provide a dress-shield of a simple and inexpensive nature having improved means for holding it in position within the garment, so as to prevent the shield from being crumpled up and displaced by movement of the arms or otherwise.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the improved dress-shield whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure l is a side elevation of a dress-shield embodying my improvements and inverted as in position for attachment in a garment. Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section taken through the same in the plane indicated by line a a in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-section taken through the device in the plane indicated by the line b b in Fig. 1.

The improved dress-shield is formed, as herein shown, of two crescent-shaped parts or wings 1 1, connected together along their concave or rounded upper edges, but having their convex lower edges free, so that the shield may be applied to the garment in the usual way over the seam at the sleeve, one of the crescent-shaped parts or wings 1 falling within the body of the garment and the other of said parts or wings within the sleeve. Each of the parts or wings 1 1 is formed, as herein shown, from two plies of textile fabric 2 and 3. The plies 2 2 of the respective parts or wings I 1 are joined together by stitching along their concave edges, as shown at din the drawings, a narrow tape or strip 5 of flexible fabric being interposed between them and held atits edgesin said seam, so as to provide a projecting flap continuous along the concave part of the shield and adapted to permit of securing the shield in the garment either by sewing or pinning without puncture or'other damage to the shield, such as is caused by passing pins or needles through the body portion of ashield. Each end portion of thetape or strip 5 is folded over upon itselfto form a double ply, as seen at 6, to afford greater hold for the securing means, since it is at the ends that the securing means will ordinarily 'tirely across the two parts or wings 1 1 of the dress-shield, the central portion of said sheet 8 being flexed at the seam 7, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This sheet 8 is imperforate and is free from both plies 2 and 3, except along the convex lower edges ofthe parts or wings 1, so that the passage of moisture 0r perspiration through the shield is prevented and damage to themoisture-proof sheet, owing to its being attached to either of the plies, is avoided.

To hold the parts or wings 1 of the improved dress-shield distended in their cresent form and to prevent them from curling or rolling up and becoming misplaced when the shield is in use either from movement of the armsor otherwise, I provide along the convex lower edge of each ply of the moistureproof sheet 8 a reinforce 9, herein shown as ICO vex edge of each part or wing 1 of the shield and serving for the attachment of the plies 2 and 3 along their convex edges. The reinforce 9 may be formed from some other pliant material than india-rubber; but I believe this to be the most suitable material for the purpose. The material of which the reinforces are formed must have the principal qualities of india-rubber-that is to say, the material non-resilient must not be stifi or capable of being broken by fiexure, since a stiff or metallic reinfore would hold the garment pressed outward along the edges of the shield and would interfere with the free movement of the arms, and if broken its ends would quickly cut through a garment and give rise to much discomfort.

If desired, the reinforce 9 may be integral with or may be cemented or otherwise secured upon the moisture-proof sheet 8 or upon either ply of the parts or wings 1, and it will be seen that between the end of the reinforce and the seams 4 and 7 at the angles of the shield a free space 12 is provided along the rounded or convex edge of the shield, along which the reinforce does not extend, so that the angles or corners of the shield are made thin and readily pliant and do not form knots in front of and behind the arms.

The improved dress-shield constructed according to my invention is of an extremely simple and inexpensive nature and is especially well adapted for use, since it is capable of ready attachment to the garment without danger of damage to the moisture-proof sheet of the shield and may be readily 'removed from or replaced in position for use. The pliant reinforces 9 along the convex lower edges of the parts or wings 1 of the shield also serve to hold the said wings or parts in proper distended form while in use, so that they are prevented from being curled or rolled up, and thus are prevented from annoying the wearer or permitting damage to the garmentfrom perspiration. Since the reinforces are not metallic, there is no liability of their rusting and staining the garment, and since they are pliant they may not be broken by fiexure, and even if broken their ends will in no way injure the person or garments of the wearer. It will also be obvious from the above description of my invention that the improved dressshield is capable of some modification without material departure from the principles and spirit of the invention, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form and arrangement of the several parts herein set forth.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A dress-shield formed of two parts or wings having convex edges and provided with a moisture-proof sheet, curved reinforces of thickened pliant material extended along the convex edges of the shield, a binding extended around the convex edges of the shield and a seam extended along'said binding for holding the same to the shield, said seam being also passed through the curved reinforces for holding the same to the moisture-proof sheet, substantially'as set forth.

2. A dress-shield formed with two wings or parts secured together and formed with convex lower edges and provided with a moisture proof sheet and curved reinforces of thickened pliant material attached to and extended along the convex edges of the wings, the ends of said reinforces being spaced apart from the points where the convex edges of the wings join at the connection between the wings, whereby a portion of the convex edge of each wing at each end of the reinforce thereon is left free from such reinforce to permit free movement of the parts or wings at their point of connection, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Cincinnati, Ohio, this 12th day of September, 1901.

MARTHA B. GAULT.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN ELIAS JONES, J. D. THORNE. 

